Klin Onkol 2025; 38(2): 90-96. DOI: 10.48095/ccko202590.
Background: Immuno-oncotherapy is already the standard treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), not only for metastatic disease, but also for locally advanced disease as well as early, operable stages. Aim: The article provides an overview of the updated results of the EMPOWER-Lung 1 and EMPOWER-Lung 3 studies. The studies evaluated the efficacy of cemiplimab (a monoclonal antibody that binds to the programmed cell death receptor – PD-1) in patients with metastatic and locally advanced NSCLC who are not surgery and chemoradiation candidates. We also present the experience from our institution, when cemiplimab was administered as monotherapy in patients with high PD-L1 ligand expression. Conclusion: Cemiplimab demonstrated efficacy as monotherapy in patients with NSCLC expressing PD-L1 in ≥ 50% of tumor cells and in combination with platinum-doublet chemotherapy when expressing PD-L1 in ≥ 1% of tumor cells in the first-line treatment of metastatic but also unresectable locally advanced disease unsuitable for definitive chemoradiation, demonstrating a new treatment option for these patients.